Rugby at Eden Park.

[Ohokaman 5,850]

10 hours ago, Gruff said:

Someone had to find something to moan about Gruffy, ask the kids if they cared….

[TurnyTom 1,542]

Top sport is very cruel Dave. Agree, Brisbane could have been 2 up and in the AFL a bad call at the death went against them …. elite sport is cruel

[Alf Riston 1,554]

14 hours ago, Gruff said:

Possibly not even KISS - wouldn't be hard to substitute them with some lads from the local pub 

[Uriah Heap 481]

Congrats getting the $18 TT, for a team that had played fairly well the previous season.

Both AFL and NRL Finals were outstanding games. Hard for Rugby Union to match that, but we'll see....???

[mikenz 1,093]

1 hour ago, Uriah Heap said:

Congrats getting the $18 TT, for a team that had played fairly well the previous season.

Both AFL and NRL Finals were outstanding games. Hard for Rugby Union to match that, but we'll see....???

I think you will find Rugby will have some drama too once you get into the knockout stage.

[mikenz 1,093]

On 10/2/2023 at 1:50 PM, mikenz said:

I think you will find Rugby will have some drama too once you get into the knockout stage.

One can't deny that the Rugby has come up trumps for drama but what a arsehole of a mix up with the draw, 

[Gruff 2,807]

8 hours ago, mikenz said:

One can't deny that the Rugby has come up trumps for drama but what a arsehole of a mix up with the draw, 

The Colby Charge down of the wide conversion which I've never seen before , ive got a 2.8 second lag from his first movement to Colbys contact.... Usain Bolt ran 2 89 when running 9.58 with running shoes on a running track...didn't see the TMO review ....cowboys

 

[mikenz 1,093]

Parts of Rugby are becoming very much like League, note the defensive lines.

The time wasting near the end of the Fiji game was rather poor, need a stop clock for the last 5 minutes in close matches.

[Gruff 2,807]

The Kiwis reffing in that French game was average to say the least, the Safs got alot of rub and pushed offside on a regular basis,  All Blacks look home and hosed but  wouldnt be surprised to see the English upset that lucky mob on that

[mikenz 1,093]

While I have often been a bit critical of the NPC finals setup, the 2 best teams are probably playing in the final.

Taranaki finishing second on the points table and Hawkes Bay who twice beat top of the table Wellington so really both teams are worthy finalist.

13000 expected, not quite up to World Cup but nonetheless still shows people will support if the occasions big enough.

Super rugby does fuck all for Taranaki or Hawkes Bay so Satirday arvo is their time in the limelight, rugby must not lose the NPC.

[Gruff 2,807]

Good to see the All Blacks meeting the very fortunate South Africans who somehow won 2 games they shouldnt have consecutively , you couldn't of wished for a better result meeting a team who peaked early, and there is a very real chance of the overs result. Go Kiwi

[mikenz 1,093]

I actually thought the NPC final was good,  Interesting , Clive Woodward before the quarters had 4 Northern teams making the semis in the World Cup, sometimes they have to accept that generally the real strength is still south of the Equator.

Wayne Barnes is the ref, everyone rates him, wonder if he misses a forward pass or something in the final if he will be liked as much.

Both the semis were very average matches but 2 heavy weights in the final, it don't get better than NZ v South Africa.

[Gruff 2,807]

On 10/23/2023 at 10:30 PM, mikenz said:

I actually thought the NPC final was good,  Interesting , Clive Woodward before the quarters had 4 Northern teams making the semis in the World Cup, sometimes they have to accept that generally the real strength is still south of the Equator.

Wayne Barnes is the ref, everyone rates him, wonder if he misses a forward pass or something in the final if he will be liked as much.

Both the semis were very average matches but 2 heavy weights in the final, it don't get better than NZ v South Africa.

Where's your result Mikey?

I'm calling it the Safs shouldn't of won either game (France,england) but somehow did because the opposition respected them to much....we shouldn't, and if we 6ake that approach we should destroy this side, Mounga isn't kicking well so let's go all in on a team obviously past their peak..

. 28 points plus should be the result  if the Coach can see it

[mikenz 1,093]

On 10/25/2023 at 10:08 PM, Gruff said:

Where's your result Mikey?

I'm calling it the Safs shouldn't of won either game (France,england) but somehow did because the opposition respected them to much....we shouldn't, and if we 6ake that approach we should destroy this side, Mounga isn't kicking well so let's go all in on a team obviously past their peak..

. 28 points plus should be the result  if the Coach can see it

Half time, what a joke rugby is sometimes.

[wph 49]

Sometimes??? Test rugby has been a joke for a long time 

[mikenz 1,093]

5 minutes ago, wph said:

Sometimes??? Test rugby has been a joke for a long time 

Wayne Barnes is having a busy game.

Mind you only a few days ago everybody loved him.

[chevy86 2,710]

1 hour ago, wph said:

Sometimes??? Test rugby has been a joke for a long time 

If that FINAL is supposedly an example of the pinnacle of World Rugby then the sport is in DEEP trouble. Really just glorified bullrush with Barnes and his mates running interference.

Most of the forwards far too bulked up, lacking ball skills (remember Zinzan,Ian Kirkpatrick,Buck anyone?) and fancy having 7 replacement forwards in one team.

Greatest mystery to me is why, when you have possession , does the half kick the ball in the air a short distance to create a less than 50% chance of getting it back.

Only salvation those monstrous wahine.

[mikenz 1,093]

2 minutes ago, chevy86 said:

If that FINAL is supposedly an example of the pinnacle of World Rugby then the sport is in DEEP trouble. Really just glorified bullrush with Barnes and his mates running interference.

Most of the forwards far too bulked up, lacking ball skills (remember Zinzan,Ian Kirkpatrick,Buck anyone?) and fancy having 7 replacement forwards in one team.

Greatest mystery to me is why, when you have possession , does the half kick the ball in the air a short distance to create a less than 50% chance of getting it back.

Only salvation those monstrous wahine.

Kind of sad if you fly half way round the world to see 15 playing 14 in such a big game, it shortchanged the paying  public, so many players being red carded for petty things, I thought the same thing when AB prop got redded 3 or 4 weeks ago, if it was serious offense, maybe, those sort of things rarely happen.

[wph 49]

I have said it many times.... The whole game needs an overhaul.
It has degenerated into an extremely poor game, almost like league but nowhere near as good. 

The game needs to be taken away from administrators like Beaumont. 

A few of my views... 

Change the points scoring, 7 or 8 points for a try, 3 points for a penalty, 2 points for a conversion, 1 point for a drop goal. 

Get rid of the TMO altogether. Let the on field officials control the game. Remember the old adages, the referees decision is final and don't argue with the ref. There will be swings and roundabouts but they usually even out. 

No replacements unless for serious injury, ruled by an independent doctor.  This is the players job, they train every day, we want to see fatigue. It seems strange that amateur players used to be able to play for 80 minutes. Todays player may be bigger but alot do not have the aerobic capacity it seems to last a full game. 

Timekeeping... This is my biggest bugbear,especially scrums, lineouts and general time wasting when the ball is not in play. Have independent timekeepers who stop the clock when the ball is kicked out and don't restart until the ball leaves the hookers hand, likewise don't restart when a scrum until it leaves the halfbacks hands. Some scrums add 2 to 3 minutes of time. Stop the clock for penalty kicks and conversions until the game restarts when the kicker strikes the ball. 

I have sat with a stopwatch and in many test matches you get between 50 and 60 minutes of play.. There's a lot of standing around with no action.

This crash, smash of going 1 metre per phase is not rugby union. My brother and I both agreed that if todays game was not the WC final we would have turned off and taken the dog for a walk The game overall was atrocious. 

I have more views on a once great sport..... However that will do for now 

 

 

 

 

[mikenz 1,093]

Maybe top tier nations could be handicapped when playing tier 2 nations by 1 or 2 player less for some of the match.

I know it's a bit fanciful but it did even up the scores today.

[Memphis3 1,267]

1 hour ago, mikenz said:

Maybe top tier nations could be handicapped when playing tier 2 nations by 1 or 2 player less for some of the match.

I know it's a bit fanciful but it did even up the scores today.

You should be on the World Rugby advisory committee my man. 

[Uriah Heap 481]

Like wph, I have lost interest in the international rugby game.

I agree with these points he makes, that might resurrect my interest.

More points for a try; 7 sounds good (I'd also add  - "all conversions to be taken from a set point" - maybe 15 meters in from touch).

TMO - Gone (Ref and his touch judges officiate)

A Timekeeper - Clock stops for stoppages.(You don't need your stopwatch wph, the stats are available and the longest the ball was in play at this Rugby World Cup was the AB's Ireland game, and it was 41 minutes ????).

Disagree with the no subs. Modern game much more physical than the Glory Days and subs needed.

Even though I think he's taking the piss, I also like MikeNZ's idea of Tier 1 nations play one or two men short against minnows. (Like a golf handicap)

 

[wph 49]

Thanks for that time keeping stat Uriah. 

The reason I stated no subs was to bring fatigue into the game and get away from this 1 metre crash bash crash bash crap that's now the standard rubbish we are dished up when the top teams clash. I agree that the game is more physical but it is not a better game, far from it. 

Do we mark the field like NFL in USA.... 5 metre lines or 10 metres over the whole field to give the game more room. No standing at the back of the ruck in a line across the field, you have to get back a distance... 5,10,... I don't know but things have to change. 

People are drawn to the game by Christian Cullen, Kirwan, BeeGee, Serge Blanco, Campese, Lomu, the Ella brothers, Gerald Davies, Batty, etc etc. not by the fat boys taking 2 to 3 minutes to get a scrum right or smash a metre forward at a time. My idol as a young lad was the Counties centre Bruce Robertson who had great ability to beat a man with speed, skill and the space he was given. That is taken away in the modern top tier test matches all because of the rules and the way the game is refereed. 

I played rugby for my province at primary schools, under 16s,under 18s and secondary schools level. I was in the 1st XV for 4 years, captain for 3 years, at what is now a Super 8 school. I loved rugby, was what you could call a fanatic., but I very rarely watch now. The whole game infuriates me. 

One last observation... I left Nz to Aussie after high school and went to Melbourne. I love Aussie Rules football... It is my favourite sport. Fast, open, skillful, fantastic crowds.... I love everything thing about it. I played for 5 or 6 years. 

They have had problems with the the game style over the years I have been watching but are not afraid to make changes to improve the quality of the game. The game is run by 1 body, the Australian Football League (AFL) and that is the huge problem rugby has with all the different groups around the world having different views. The northern hemisphere is certainly on a different wavelength to the southern hemisphere. 

All the public wants is a better product than what is being dished up at present. 

The only honest comments from a past All Black I heard on Sunday were from Israel Dagg at half time.. It was so refreshing and I applaud him for saying it on behalf of us watching and for not towing the company line as most do by saying the game was awesome 

 

 

Edited October 30, 2023 by wph

[Ohokaman 5,850]

A bit like this guy……

[mikenz 1,093]

On 10/30/2023 at 11:31 AM, Uriah Heap said:

 

More points for a try; 7 sounds good (I'd also add  - "all conversions to be taken from a set point" - maybe 15 meters in from touch).

 

Even though I think he's taking the piss, I also like MikeNZ's idea of Tier 1 nations play one or two men short against minnows. (Like a golf handicap)

 

I don't like more points for try, it just makes point scoring records unless all point scored in history are corrected.

 

Maybe a points start for lesser teams.

Maybe less teams at the world cup but between cups tier 2 teams play a comp to qualify, then they get to play warmup games against top teams as well as in the cup.

I reckon 16 at the World Cup but maybe 4 qualify from tier 2 comp.